Magic the Gathering: Avishkar Drift - Aetherdrift so far

Greg Montique
Jan 18
3 min read

Updated: Jan 30

As Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro take time figuring out how much Magic is too much, we are currently set to see 6 new sets in the year 2025. That is 4 sets, one per quarter, tied directly to the Magic universe and 2 Universes Beyond sets with a theme outside the universe (hence the name). The next set being prepped for release takes us back to Kaladesh Avishkar to play with energy and crew some vehicles in racing themed set AetherDrift. Impact-Site-Verification: 28fe6d5d-c4dc-4b5a-a00a-a8b4e97a7b73

Italics? Caps? Yellow lines? Must mean it's fast.

Aetherdrift is based around the The Ghirapur Grand Prix (GGP). The GGP is a high-stakes, interplanar racing event spanning three planes—Avishkar, Amonkhet, and Muraganda—and features ten racing teams competing for the grand prize, the Aetherspark. The GGP is influenced by Omenpath and has become a legal, promoted event in its second year as an interplanar competition. The race starts in the city of Ghirapur, which has a long history of underground vehicle racing. So I’m going to refer to this set as Avishkar Drift and will forever see every character as Vin Diesel.

When we get down to the actual set, not much has been spoiled so far. From what has been shown however, it seems like artifacts are about to get a lot of support. This will make Urza, High Lord Artificer and Urtet users happy in Commander while also adding more artifacts in the form of vehicles to the mix. But then things get a little goofy with a new card type.

The Aetherspark, an artifact holding the planeswalker's spark of Ishikari Bindra, has the theoretical potential to bestow planeswalking abilities upon its user. Though we don’t know exactly what it does as a card, we know it has a very unique, and very long card type. As a Legendary Artifact Planeswalker – Equipment it shows that there is no end in to what card types can be combined to make something completely new and hard to say.

What a card like this also seems to bring (though not confirmed) is the ability to have an equipment with several counter based effects like a traditional planeswalker. In theory this would mean that you would also be able to attack the equipment directly. Until we get the card text it is all speculation but it looks like another fun direction that has yet to be taken.

The story for Aetherdrift has started to drop over on Magic Story and while I have been lukewarm to the idea of NASCAR the Gathering there is still room to be swayed. Previews for AetherDrift start on January 21, 2025 with the full set reveal on January 31, 2025 and physical release on Valentines Day (February 14, 2025).

Aetherdrift Product Availabilty

Play Boosters

Play booster boxes have been lowered to 30 packs from 36 to stave off the increasing price of the product and have the chance to include up to four rares in a pack.

Collector Boosters

Similar to previous releases. 16 packs of 15 cards each with the return of Japan Showcase and serialized cards. Now with 2 box-toppers when you buy a box.

Bundles

Basic:

9 Aetherdrift Play Boosters; each Play Booster contains 14 Magic: The Gathering cards
1 Traditional Foil card with Bundle-exclusive alternate-art
20 Traditional Foil Basic Land cards (5 with Full Art)
20 nonfoil Basic Land cards (5 with Full Art)
1 oversized Spindown life counter
1 card storage box
2 reference cards